Review of Turtles Can Fly (2004) by Heather D — 09 Sep 2009
Turtles can fly is a story, not of politics,it's not anti or pro anything, it is simply a story of the uncomfortable realities of war and it's casualities told through the eyes of most innocent of all observers. It's easy to ignore and to be ignorant of the lives of children in conflict until it's thrown in your face. And turtles can fly certain does just that, it doesn't sweeten the lives of children, there is no shiny bow on top, nor is there a silver lining to any cloud. The reality for the children is grim and bleak, it's one that offers very little, but the children carry on. Their resilience and ability to survive is nothing short of amazing.
The children come together under the guidence of a natural born leader known as Satelite. Nicknamed so because of his ability to install dishes. Satelite like the others, is a orphan. The childern scrape out a meager living disarming and collecting landmies, which Satelite then sells to the "mister". When Satelite isn't wheeling and dealing, he's trying to capture the heart of a very pretty, but haunted young girl who's pain is never far from the surface. Agrin comes to the village with her armless brother Hengov, who is known as the child who has "visions" and a blind toddler called Riga.
What unfolds through out the movie will most certainly crush you.
What makes this movie work is that the children in the movie are not actors, Had this movie been had actual child actors, I don't know that it would have worked for me. The character Agrin, with few lines, conveyed so much emotion and feeling through her eyes alone. It's as though Avaz Latif, owned Agrin's pain and in some way, she does just as the other children who portrayed their characters do. The fact that these children are ACTUAL refugees, makes their painful stories seem more realistic and far more personal. This movie will certainly break your heart, but the ache will be worth it. It is by far one of the most powerful and breathtaking movies I've seen in quite sometime.
This review of Turtles Can Fly (2004) was written by Heather D on 09 Sep 2009.
Turtles Can Fly has generally received very positive reviews.
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